Paul McCartney has his sights set on a return to Australia, for his first tour there in six years.
The evergreen octogenarian had promised “news coming soon” on his socials, and he delivers with the announcement of a new, Australian swing to his Got Back Tour, which will play several new markets for the first time – the satellite cities of Newcastle (north of Sydney) and Gold Coast (south of Brisbane).
The Beatles great’s trek is produced by Frontier Touring, the Melbourne-based concerts giant, part of the Mushroom Group, which secured his previous tour of these parts in 2017. That visit was McCartney’s first Down Under in almost a quarter century.
In an era when major arena and stadium tours are regularly announced a year ahead of showtime, McCartney’s jaunt, set for this October and November, is tighter than most. McCartney is no ordinary artist.
The two-time Rock And Roll Hall of Famer will embark on his run with an “intimate” date at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Oct. 18, the only arena show on the itinerary. When McCartney and the Beatles played the South Australia capital in 1964, at the very peak of their powers, an estimated 350,000 people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four. That’s roughly one-third the city’s current population.
The six-city stretch includes outdoor dates in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Perth misses out.
“I’ve got so many amazing memories of my time in Australia over the years,” McCartney comments in a statement, confirming the Australia leg. “Our last trip was so much fun. We had such an incredible time. Each show was a party so we know this is going to be incredibly special. Australia we are going to rock! I can’t wait to see you.”
Those memories and parties coalesced into a tour for the ages. Macca’s five-city One On One Tour won the Helpmann for best international contemporary concert in 2018, awarded by Live Performance Australia, and was declared a career highlight by legendary promoter Michael Gudinski, the late founder of Frontier Touring.
Joining McCartney on the road is his longtime band, Paul “Wix” Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums).
Following the release of Peter Jackson’s three-part 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back, McCartney embarked on a 16-date U.S. run on his Got Back Tour, which last year nudged his total career gross north of the $1 billion mark, making him one of just 11 artists to surpass the 10-digit mark in Boxscore’s 30-year-plus history.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 11 via frontiertouring.com/paulmccartney, with the Frontier members presale starting earlier, on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
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